This is the MazeRoll!



I hope you like this as a design and as a puzzle.
It’s a fake-twisty puzzle, because it can rotate around one axis but cannot scramble.



Size (assembled): approx. round 45 mm x 141 mm
Weight: approx. 90 grams

Youtube video of puzzle
Youtube video of assembly

The aim of the puzzle is to bring the ball through the maze from one end of the cylinder to the other end.

Added to this challenge is the situation that this maze is a kind of maze within a maze. This makes solving it much more complex (hence more fun) than "align the rings and follow the path". The rotation of adjacent rings is restricted by a simple groove-and-notch system, especially designed to prevent you from positioning the rings such that the maze can be navigated at once. In other words, you are forced to reposition the rings several times while the ball is somewhere in the maze. This makes solving take longer than you would expect at first sight!

Also, this is not 1 puzzle; the cylindrical disk parts can be arranged in several combinations to create an easy or more difficult puzzle. (So, you get more puzzles for the price of one. But the solving method of all combinations is comparable)
This may be the puzzle that can also be appreciated by your not-so-into-puzzles friends and relatives, that like to see puzzles but fear to try them out. This puzzle you can start at an easy level, and continue to the more difficult challenges. Please be informed that the difficulty indicated is for ‘the general public’. For experienced puzzlers I’d rate the most difficult challenge as ‘moderate’.

Find the overview of configurations here

If you like, you can also dye the puzzle e.g. to have it look like pop-art



If you’re experienced in the assembly of Shapeways puzzles, you’ll find that it’s not too difficult to create the MazeRoll from the kit at Shapeways.

The MazeRoll is available at my Shapeways shop and ready assembled at my wife’s webshop.

The MazeRoll is a registered design (reg.no. 002144584-0001).

That is very cool! I would say you should submit either this or the maze cone or maze ball for the IPP design competition. If you submit more than one, it may split up votes.

-d

Does anyone if there will be a IPP design competition this year, I have not found any information yet?

There is every year. It could be just that the info isn't out yet. Oskar or Nick Baxter would know more.

-d

Oh well, wait and see, I'll just go on working on my new puzzle(s).

This is a very cool puzzle indeed! It looks so simple at first glance. I would recommend submitting this puzzle because of all the different possibilities.
I like this series of puzzles a lot.

Find a review by Gabriel for the MazeRoll here.
And also a short review by Louis here.



I'll certainly consider attending the IPP with one puzzle. Probably the MazeRoll.

As a starting puzzle designer (at my age of 42 years), I'm very honoured that my concept and execution of the MazeRoll reached chart position #5 in Gabriels' top-10 list from his 100 most recent reviews.

Wow!